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Children are less likely to have symptoms of COVID-19. They also seem to be less likely to develop severe disease than adults. But what role do they play in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2? A report by the US agency CDC suggests they can and are spreading the coronavirus even if they have no symptoms. This has been proven by a study of care facilities in the state of Utah. CNN described them.
- The vast majority of children undergo COVID-19 mildly (although there are exceptions, of course), often showing no symptoms of the disease
- CDC Report: Children with mild or no symptoms can spread COVID-19
- Regular tests for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 for people in institutions caring for children and wearing protective masks by them can help in the spread of the virus.
The vast majority of children have COVID-19 mildly (although there are exceptions, of course), often showing no symptoms of the disease. However, there were still doubts about the role of minors in the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a US federal government agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, sought the answer. A report presenting the results of research on this topic was released on September 11. As it turned out?
Experts from the CDC analyzed what happened in childcare centers from April to July. Data from three centers in Salt Lake County, Utah, were analyzed (data concerned the contacts of 184 people associated with these centers, including children).
Analyzes showed that of the 31 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 13 were children. They all had mild or no symptoms of the disease. Among those surveyed, researchers found at least two asymptomatic children who not only “caught” SARS-CoV-2 but passed it on to other people, including one mother who was hospitalized. One eight-month-old baby infected both parents.
- What to do to reduce the number of coronavirus infections in schools? The latest advice from American scientists
According to experts, in two cases the source of infections in institutions were employees who had contact with the virus in the household.
“COVID-19 is less severe in children than in adults, but minors can still play a role in disease transmission,” said CDC experts and colleagues at the Salt Lake County Health Department, in their report. «Infected children from the three facilities surveyed had mild or no symptoms of COVID-19. Two of the three asymptomatic children probably passed SARS-CoV-2 to their parents and possibly teachers, ”they wrote in the document.
Given the results of the analyzes, the question arises: how to prevent the spread of the virus in such a situation? According to scientists, regular tests for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 for people staying in institutions caring for children, including those who do not show symptoms, as well as monitoring the contacts of these people can help.
Experts also recommend the use of protective masks, especially for employees of care and educational institutions caring for children under two years of age who may be too young to wear masks.
A few weeks ago, South Korean pediatricians published study results from 22 hospitals. They showed that even more than three weeks after being infected, children not only can still get COVID-19, but also spread the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Infectiousness three weeks after the diagnosis of coronavirus infection occurs in children, regardless of whether they are asymptomatic or symptomatic with COVID-19.
- Children go through COVID-19 differently than adults. They can develop rare inflammation
The authors of the study found that among the approximately 100 coronavirus-infected children tested, the average course of COVID-19 was two and a half weeks. They noted that some patients were able to become infectious for several days after the symptoms had ceased, if any were associated with the disease.
The evaluator of the study, American pediatrician Robert De Biasi of the National Children’s Hospital in Washington, DC agreed with the conclusions of the South Korean study. She also pointed to the need to establish the maximum period during which the youngest patients “are able to spread coronavirus around them” (according to PAP).
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